There are a few factors that might explain why your internet connection isn’t as consistently fast as you’d hoped. But there are some things you can do.
You can measure the speed of your broadband connection, but that’s not the whole story. Your network provider also has to manage factors such as data loss and latency to ensure a smooth connection.
IP addresses serve a similar function to postal addresses. Postal addresses allow our mail to circulate, while IP addresses allow network traffic to move around the internet.
To understand what happened, you need to know what a CDN (content delivery network) is, and how crucial they are to the smooth running of the internet.
Millions of households are expected to gain access to upgraded internet connections, with speeds of up to one gigabit per second (if you’re willing to pay for the plan).
Your mobile internet bandwidth is shared with others in your area. That’s why many people trying to access the iternet at the same time results in slower speeds.
Google’s Stadia and Apple Arcade will rattle the gaming world this year. Both aim to solve current limitations, but as user experience improves, issues around connectivity and cost arise.
The end of net neutrality in the US does not mean the rest of the world will follow – and there’s plenty of evidence that demonstrates continued commitment to open access.
Tough action is promised against companies that offer faster internet speeds than they can deliver over the NBN. But it’s up to consumers to monitor and report on any speed issues.
The highly politicised nature of the NBN has led to a lack of transparency that makes it even harder to fix the mess that has been made of this vital national infrastructure.
Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Deputy Dean Research at Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, The University of Melbourne